Putting yourself into bad situations post-flop

Hi,
Just wanted to point something out since I notice it when I play against some opponents. This is for BSS games:

Calling raises of opponents IP with Ax type of hands or like QJ etc.
You have to be really careful post-flop. Yes you can outplay some people, but often you can get trapped. If you hit your card it may not be good and you have very tough decisions to do. If you draw for flushes or so, all of a sudden they might not be good because the board pairs or so.

Basically I think you want to be cold calling raises of thinking opponents with the opposite of their ranges. Hence if you know they raise pps and A10+ or so you want to call them with like 78s-. Post-flop now becomes much easier. Your outs are clean and the lower you call with suited connectors (23s 34s) the better chance of you hitting straight while he hits TP.

So yeah anyone else have something to say for this part of the pre-flop game?

Hi,
I agree with you that cold calling with JQ, JK, Ax-offsuited,... can be very dangerous and is difficult to play post-flop. In fact, Angel Largay refers to those hands as "trouble hands" in his book No-Limit Texas Hold'em - A complete course.
What I do with that kind of a hand when someone has raised is simply to fold. If I'm first-in and in late position than I would raise (you might want to fold if your opponents are really loose).
On the other hand you can get much more agresive with so called speculative hands such as suited connectors or any pocket pair. In position I would often 3-bet a tight opponent with any pocket pair bigger than 77, or suited connectors such as 67s. Often your opponent is going to fold. If he calls you will have to proceed very carefully as he probably has a big hand. Sometimes you might want to bluff him, but don try to do it all day long. If he is betting out and you hit nothing you will be better of folding. But you will usually get paid when you hit your set, straight or flush. And remember... this play is posible only when you have position!! You dont want to 3-bet with 77 out of position.

Originally posted by HabloConElvis
Hi,
I agree with you that cold calling with JQ, JK, Ax-offsuited,... can be very dangerous and is difficult to play post-flop. In fact, Angel Largay refers to those hands as "trouble hands" in his book No-Limit Texas Hold'em - A complete course.
What I do with that kind of a hand when someone has raised is simply to fold. If I'm first-in and in late position than I would raise (you might want to fold if your opponents are really loose).
On the other hand you can get much more agresive with so called speculative hands such as suited connectors or any pocket pair. In position I would often 3-bet a tight opponent with any pocket pair bigger than 77, or suited connectors such as 67s. Often your opponent is going to fold. If he calls you will have to proceed very carefully as he probably has a big hand. Sometimes you might want to bluff him, but don try to do it all day long. If he is betting out and you hit nothing you will be better of folding. But you will usually get paid when you hit your set, straight or flush. And remember... this play is posible only when you have position!! You dont want to 3-bet with 77 out of position.

HabloConElvis - FTP 10/25 NL - shorthanded

Are you an ABC player? I would cold call with these hands under a number of situations; Especially against a loose player. 3 betting with pocket pairs is something I do too, the people don't know if you have pocket 4's or AK+.

Depends on opponent's position and pfr, but I generally just fold weak aces/broadways to a raise. There are much better cards to call people with, even in position, with way better potential and playability. Picking your spots is one of the first things PS taught me, so I stick to that and simply fold marginal hands. Suited aces and suited connectors on the other hand are some of my favorite hands, but even those require occasional bluffs to make coldcalling with them profitable. I still wouldn't call with anything lower than 54s because your opponent might easily have an overpair, you don't know that for sure so you need every % of equity you can grab.

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by silent21: 11.06.2009 18:36.

i play SH and against thinking players i prefer 3betting with suited connectors IP. Often you take the pot down, if not you are with initiative and you can take it with cbet and if you hit villain will neeeever guess your hand.